oe boston



S. MARSTON.

LUNCH COUNTER.

APPLICATION FILED Dic. I7, I9I5.

Lwm. l Pafenfemug. 15,1916.

Fifi EI-IIFLEy MFISTEIN /WUURNEYE 'SHIRLEY MMSTON, OF BOSTON,MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB, TO R. MARSTON COM- PANY, OF BOSTON,MASSACHUSETTS, A. CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

Luiten-connerie.

Ligdtll.

Application led December 17, 1915. Serial No. 67,382.-

To all whom t may concern.' v

MAns'roN, a

Be it known that I, SHIRLEY lcitizen of the United States, residing atering the-body, the top including an inner.

serving portion and an outer customers porioi which overhangs the outerside of the o y. v 'The invention is embodied in a lunc counter theoverhanging customers portion of whic is interrupted by relativelynarrow recesses extending inward from. its outer edge, said recessessubdividingthe customers portion into sections, each formed t0accommodate a single customer, so that the articles served-to. eachcustomer arefpractically isolated from those-served to an adjacentcustomer. rThe recesses also enable customers belongings, such asumbrellas, hand bags, etc., lto be stored below the plane of the countertop in position to be conveniently reached through the recesses. Thewidth of the recesses is 'such that in a straight counter a given numberet sections occupy a space conforming closely to thel space required bya corresponding number of customers located side by side in a straightrow facing the counter, so that therecesses do not involve anyconsiderable increase in the length of the counter over that which wouldbe requiled if the customers portion lwere'continuous or lininterrupted.

Of theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this specication: Figure 1represents a plan view of a portion ot a lunch `counter' embodying myinvention; Fig. 2

represents a sectionon line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 represents a sectionon line 8-3 of Fig. 1; lFig.14 represents a :fragmentary perspectiveview showing a portion of the counter. A

The same reference characters indicate the same or similar parts in allthe'views.

In the drawings, 12 represents the up- 4 right-body of a lunch counter,and 13 represents the 'horizontal top of the counter, said top includinga continuous serving portion covering the body and a customers portionSpecification of ietters-Patent.

rammed aug. miete.

overhanging the outer side of the body and flush with the servingportion.

ln carrying out my invention I interrupt the 'continuity of thecustomersportion by forming therein relativelynarrow recesses 14extending from the outer edge to or nearly` to the body, said recesseshaving closed inner ends. rlhe recesses are so spaced apart that eachofthe subdivisions constitutes a customers section formed andproportioned to accommodate a single custemer, whose dishes aretherefore segregated from those of other customers.

T prefer'to make each section about one foot and eleven inches longmeasuring from one recess to the next. lf also prefer to make eachrecess ina straight portion of the counter' about four inches wide.These proportions enable a given' number of customers sections toaccommodate a like number 'of customers standing or sitting side by sidefacing the counter, the customers being in the closest prom'mity to eachother compatible with their convenience. .When the counter isU-shapedthe corner portions may have recesses 14;a formed as shown byFig. 1.

rllhe customers may store belongings, such as umbrellas,v hand bags,etc., below. the plane of the counter top in such position that thebelongings may beeasily reached,

as indicated by Fig. 4:, which shows meanstop is` provided withangularly arranged marginal molding strips 18, the upper edges of whichareraised above the plane of the top, and form beads or guards extendingalong the outer edges of the sections and the sides and closed ends ofthe recesses, and adapted to prevent dishes from sliding from theserving portion of the top, and from the customers sections, into therecesses, and from the outer edges of the sections. A stool 20 may beprovided for each customers section.

Having described my invention, l[ claim:

1. A lunch counter comprising an upright supporting body, a top having acontinuous inner serving -portion and an outer customers portionoverhanging the body, and interrupted by relatively narrow recessesextending inward from its outer edge to said serving portion, and closedat their inner ends, said recesses not only subdividing the customersportion into a series of sections, each formed to accommodate a singlecustomer, but also affording access to customers belongings storedadjacent to l the inner ends of the recesses, the width of the recessesbeing such that a given number of sections occupy a space conforming tothe space required by a corresponding number of customers located sideby side.

2. A lunch counter comprlsing an upright signature.

SHIRLEY MARSTON.

